An electrical analogue for heat waves in an exothermic medium
Ron T. Ackroyd, J. Houstoun, J.W. Lynn, E. Mann · Proceedings of the IEE Part B Electronic and Communication Engineering · 1961
The paper describes the design, construction and operation of an electrical analogue used for simulating the conditions of propagation of heat waves in an exothermic medium.The equipment is in two parts. The first is a passive RC network which is the usual form of analogue for heat conduction problems. The second consists of a function generator which calculates the stored energy released as the wave travels across the medium, together with the necessary switching apparatus. The function generator is switched rapidly along the path of the wave. Its output for any point is a function of the temperature at that point. As the wave reaches a given point, additional energy is released into the network. This modifies the conditions at each point to satisfy equations of the form-δ2ψ+ρdψ/dt = f(ψ)The paper also describes the construction and operation of electronic switches capable of scanning the network and adjusting the conditions in times of the order of 5 millisec per node.